


Caged Hearts

by Lunatic-Quill (LunaticMao)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Literature, Other, Romance, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4097764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaticMao/pseuds/Lunatic-Quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Working at Kingdom Hearts Publishing has its ups and downs, and when you get involved in touchy subjects with the owner's problematic son, you'll have to face what it takes to keep your position in the company. How will you survive? [Xemnas/Reader] [Mild Nudity & Sexual Situations]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**CAGED HEARTS**  
_—Every heart has its secret._

 **Chapter 1:** Of Strangers and Heavy Rains

\---

“I did not agree to that! God, guys, who the fuck eats pasta from their nose?!” A blonde teen shouted.

“Nu-uh, you’ve already agreed to it, even if you were sort of half asleep that time, which was your own fault by default,” another blonde, with much spikier hair, said, swinging his finger around.  
“And you’ll have to do it in front of everyone.”

“What?!”

A red haired girl laughed, shaking her head. She nudged you with her elbow. “And here I am, wanting a sibling so bad. Look at those brothers! Their arguments are the epitome of infinity.”

You gave Kairi, the red haired girl, a silly look. “You don’t say.”

Sora, the spiky blonde, stood up from his seat and pointed an accusing finger at Roxas, his brother. “Real men do not run away from challenges!”

“So what if I choose to give up on my manliness for the sake of my nose?!”

“Hey, hey, cut it out,” Naminé, who was silent from the beginning, stopped sipping her coffee and glared daggers at the two, her calm demeanor vanishing. “I did say I need inspiration, but not from you moodkillers.”

“But Nami—“

“Ahem,” the fragile looking girl paused. “My coffee is still hot, you know. You might want to try drinking it through your nose.”

Sora and Roxas shivered. They should have known better not to get in the seemingly calm and gentle girl’s nerves.

“Guys,” you cleared your throat, trying to cool down the atmosphere. ”We’re supposedly taking the day off to look for inspiration, but we’re not getting anywhere at this point. We should just go somewhere else.”

“I agree with [Name]. We should go and get Riku, too. He’s taking way too long in Demyx’s place just to get documents.” Kairi crossed her arms.

“They probably end up playing games,” Roxas rolled his eyes.

Sora took his bag and walked around the table. “I told you we should go to a theme park.”

“I’ve had enough of theme parks,” Kairi said, her face turning green at the very mention of it. “It shook things up a little more than we need.”

“Aw, Kairi.” Naminé pouted. “I told you not to take roller coasters. Big babies like you should stick with Merry-Go-Rounds.”

“Ouch, Naminé. It’s not my fault my stomach can’t stand shocks.”

You laughed and slapped your best buddies’ backs. “Come on, the longer we stay here the lazier Riku will get.”

After packing up all your stuff, you and your gang left the café and head toward Demyx’s house to get Riku.

You worked at a publishing company called Kingdom Hearts. Along with Kairi, being a writer for a magazine was not an easy job, so you had the rest of your co-workers: Naminé, Sora, Roxas, and also Riku to accompany you and get a day off just to get inspiration. The brothers Sora and Roxas were parts of the sales and advertising department, which sort of suited their bubbly personalities. Naminé was the designer. She was the youngest in your group and mostly very calm, but turn the tides and you would see the other side of her. Riku was your and Kairi’s editor, who was normally a calm and collected young man, but could turn super loud when it gets to editing your works.

You arrived at Demyx’s house, finding the two busying themselves with video games. You stomped behind the blonde house owner and pulled his mullet hair, making him avert his gaze from the TV.  
“O-Ow, ow, ow, ow, [Name]! Stop that!”

“We were waiting the whole time and all you do is sit around and play games?!” You pinched his ear. “And you too, Riku! You were supposed to get documents for us!”

“Hey, how is it only me who gets pinched on the ear?!”

Kairi giggled and walked beside you. “Oh, boys.”

You sighed and shook your head. Demyx was your close friend and neighbor since his house was only a few houses away from yours. You used to go to the same high school with him. He was also working as an editor for the same company as you, but he was in another division so you weren’t that close with him at work.

“So where should we go now?” Roxas asked.

“Why not stay here for a while?” Demyx asked back, shrugging. “Chill for a bit. I know your department has been stressful these past months.”

Riku nodded. “Yeah, we’re definitely in a pinch. We need something to live up the topic.”

“Actually,” Demyx started, raising his finger in the air. “There is a good hot topic. But it’s about our boss so I don’t think we can cover that in the media.”

“Mr. Ansem?” You raised your brow. He was the owner of Kingdom Hearts, so of course this perked you up. “What’s wrong with him now?”

“You haven’t heard? Sheesh, what kind of journalists are you guys?” Demyx rolled his eyes mockingly. “They say his son, Xemnas, has been missing for almost four days now. That’s why Mr. Ansem didn’t even bother about checking on us lately.”

“Wait, he has a son? How come I’ve never heard of it?” Sora asked.

Demy shrugged. “Well, honestly it’s my first time hearing about that, too. But it seems that he is never really referred to or shown in media. Not even his father ever talks about him. Until now, that is.”

“Wow, talk about getting no love at all from daddy,” Kairi commented.

“So, they haven’t found him?” You asked.

Demyx shook his head and shrugged. “No one knows exactly where he is now.”

"I see… I wonder what's he like. Ah, well, probably as annoying as his father," you snorted.  
"How old is he anyway? I can't help seeing a tiny version of Mr. Ansem," Naminé said, raising her brow.

"He's about our age, if not a little older. They say this guy is a terrible delinquent that runs with the local biker gang. He refused to go to college, too," Demyx added.

"Wow, no wonder the boss doesn't seem to like talking about him. He must've been ashamed," Kairi commented.

Naminé shrugged. "He's the son of a millionaire. Wonder what's his problem."

You giggled. "Maybe his problem isn't meant to be solved with money."

"We're about to hear a drama, then," Demyx laughed.

"Still, we can't cover that in our article. We'll never get approved, which means we're still getting nowhere here," Riku reminded.

"Roxas, you eating pasta through your nose will be the perfect topic. Saves us time so just do it already!"

"Nevarrr!"

You and your gang ended up wasting the whole day at Demyx's place until dinner. None of you seemed to manage to come up with a good topic to cover in your next article, so you decided to meet up and try again the next day. On your way home after saying your goodbyes, you suddenly remembered that you were out of soap and toothpaste, so you decided to turn around and head to the closest convenience store.

After picking up everything you need, you walked to the cashier and looked out the window to find out that it had suddenly started raining. You screamed in your head since you didn’t bring an umbrella. You walked to the terrace and looked up to the dark sky.

“Ah, perfect…”

You thought about waiting for the rain to stop, but figured that it would take too long and you were tired. You were going to go take a bath after all, so you decided to just run through the rain. It wasn’t that far from your house anyway.

Your feet splashed over puddles as you jogged through the storm. You pulled your hood over your head to cover it from the painful drops. The winds hurt your eyes and made it difficult to see, and it was freezing cold. You kept imagining about that warm bath waiting for you at home.

You decided to take a shortcut through the alleys. Normally you wouldn’t take that path since it was swarming with gangsters and beggars, but since it was raining so huge you figured that no one would stay there for the night.

Your feet felt like it was stuck to your sneakers as the muddy waters splashed under your step. You carefully walked through the alley and tried to not step into empty bottles or cans, since you might slip on them. As you almost reached the end of the path, you stopped when you saw a figure, soaked wet in the rain, hidden under the cover of only a very thin cape, lying helpless on the side of the road. You were careful to not wake him or disturb him, cautious that he might be a drunk rapist or something, but a small movement stopped you from going any further.

“Ngrhh…” you heard him moan in pain.

Your sense of humanity halted you as you rushed to his side when you saw a red liquid seeping out of his arm. You turned him around and shook him a little.

“H-Hey! Are you okay? You’re bleeding!”

You saw a huge gash on his left arm and it was bleeding real bad. You tried to call for help but no one was around. After arguing with yourself whether to leave him be or help him, you surrendered to your conscience and picked him up on your shoulder to carry him back to your house.

“Hang on, I’ll take you somewhere safe. Just try to stay awake!”

You only received a grunt as you felt him try to stand up. You tried to take a look at his face, but it was dark and it was hidden by his long silver strands, matted to his cheeks. You held his other arm and pulled him through the alley.

“My house isn’t far. You can do it.”

You felt him grip tighter to you as his steps felt even heavier the more you walk. You cursed countless times when he almost failed and nearly drag you along to fall to the ground with him, but you somehow managed to get to your house.

You quickly opened the door and turned on the lights. The man fell to the ground, wetting the wooden floor of your house. You ran to the bathroom and turned on the tub, filling it with warm water. You rushed back to the living room and kneeled in front of him.

“We need to clean you up first. Your clothes are wet, you’ll get sick. Also we need to tend to your wound, it could get infected.”

He grunted and moaned when you accidentally touched his bleeding arm.

“S-Sorry. Come on, we’ll get you to the bath.”

You dragged him to the bathroom and seated him on a stool. You quickly took his soaking cape off and started to undress him when a giant realization suddenly hit you like a truck. Your face flared like boiled egg as you jumped back a little.

He was a handsome young man with a dark complexion, probably around your age, with long silver hair that goes to his back. You could clearly see the nasty gash on his arm now, along with other minor cuts and bruises. It looked like it was done by something sharp, like a knife.

You blushed yet again when he made a small movement.

Here you were, undressing a wounded stranger in the middle of a stormy night, with no one else in your house. In. The. Bath. Room.

You snapped out of your trance and caught him before he lost his balance and bang his head to the floor. He didn’t seem like he could even move a finger right now, so, with a big nervous gulp, you braved yourself and said, “Um, sorry. I’ll help you clean up.”

Receiving no answer, you moved you hand to wash his back and cleaned him off from the muddy rainwater. You tried to shake off the weird thoughts off you mind as you gently scrubbed around his wound, cleaning it off with water. He made a pained noise and tried to pull his arm, but you insisted that it needed to be cleaned or it would be dangerous for him. You weren’t sure if he even listened to you since his eyes were closed the whole time and it looked like he was half unconscious. You wrapped his wound with a piece of cloth afterwards to prevent accidentally touching it.

After what felt like an eternity you dried him off with a clean towel and took him to your room. The struggle began when you realized that you probably didn’t have any clean clothes big enough for his size. You then remembered that you had an old shirt of Demyx that he left when the guys were having a sleepover at your place. You quickly dug your wardrobe to search for it.

A grin was plastered over your face when you finally found it and rushed back to your room. You felt your face burning yet again when you found the stranger sleeping, half-naked, in your bed. You gulped and tried to keep your thoughts to yourself, putting him into the shirt. He was quite heavy and you struggled for it, but you did it. You looked at his wound and thought about tending to it, but remembered that you were still soaking wet. You decided to take a quick bath and return to do it later.

After you were done taking a shower, you searched for ointments and band aids and rushed back to your room. You unwrapped the cloth from over his arm and started cleaning it with alcohol. As the cold liquid touched his wound, his eyes suddenly shot open and he jumped at you, pinning you to the ground. He strangled your neck as you struggled to breathe.  
You fought over and tried to break free from his strong grip. His hoarse voice echoed through the room.

“Who are you?! Were you trying to kill me?!”

You coughed and took a deep breath. “G-Get off! I wasn’t trying to kill you… I was trying to save you!”

A kick on his stomach caught him off guard as he rolled away from you. You tried to stabilize your breath for a moment before you noticed him glaring at you, his orange eyes wide with terror. You wondered what kind of trauma he went through that he became like this.

“Where am I…?”

“My house,” you said, still trying to catch your breath. “A fine way to thank someone who saved your life.”

He only looked at you with rashed breathing. You noticed that his wound had started bleeding again.  
“Hey, I know you don’t trust me, but we need to fix that wound first.”

He didn’t answer, so you grabbed his arm and sat him back on the bed. He seemed too tired to fight back, so you felt a little more secure. He only watched you silently as you worked with his wound. He would flinch and groan when you touched the wrong parts, but he didn’t try to do anything weird.  
After you were done you wrapped a clean bandage around it and plastered it shut. You smiled proudly at your handiwork. “There. Change it once a day and it should get better in a few weeks.”

He eyed the bandages cautiously and turned his eyes at you. “Who are you?”

“No need for the little talks. Go get some rest and get out from my house by tomorrow. I don’t want any trouble,” you stated.

“Hmph.” His eyes rolled down and eyed the shirt. You blushed, knowing that he must knew that you were the one who put him in it.

“S-Sorry. Your clothes were soaked and dirty, so…”

He only stared at you with blank eyes, making you feel awkward.

“Ahem. I’ll go find something for you to eat. You must be hungry,” you quickly said and rushed out of the room. Your face was flushed red and you swore he must’ve seen it and thought that you were some perverted weirdo. You felt like sinking into a hole right now.

You scurried into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was a leftover pasta bowl and you took it out to heat it in the microwave. You noticed someone stepping into the kitchen behind you. It was no other than the stranger himself.

You glared at him. “Don’t move too much. Your wounds are still healing.”

He ignored you and walked closer to you, forcing you to step back on to the fridge. He pinned his hands beside you, keeping you from going anywhere. You couldn’t help a blush creeping up to your face when he came closer.

He looked at you with his dazzling amber eyes. “I saw those magazines on your table. You work for Kingdom Hearts?”

“Y-Yes, what of it?” You tried to keep your gaze at him. He had opened his upper buttons, letting you see his toned chest and collarbones.

“Hmph, I guess that company has some interesting employees, after all.” He grinned, his eyes scanning you from top to bottom, making you feel nervous under his gaze.

“Why do you need to know? Who are you anyway?”

“Ah, a few things,” he paused, “but… I’m going to need you to let me stay here for a while longer.”  
“What? I can’t do that! People are going to be suspicious! I don’t even know you!”

“You will know who I am soon enough.” He leaned closer to whisper to your ear in a playful tone, “Besides, you’ve already seen most of me. We’ll get along just fine.”

Your face felt like it would melt into a pile of goo when the microwave dinged, signaling that the pasta was ready to be served. You thanked the heavens as you slipped through under his arms and got away from him. “Look, your food is ready! Eat and go to bed!”

You heard him chuckle as you hurried to prepare his pasta. You were going to put his food down on the dining table when you noticed him slightly losing his balance. You quickly grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling.

“See?!” You pulled him up and let him sit on a chair. “You’re still weak from whatever shit that’s happened to you. Eat and regain your health so you can hurry and get away from my house.”

He eyed you with another of his blank stare before averting his gaze to the warm pasta. “Where did you find me?”

“The alleys.” You took a seat on the other end of the table. “You don’t remember? If I didn’t pass by then you’re probably dead by now.”

“Weren’t you scared?” he asked. “I could be a rapist or a madman for all you know.”

“I don’t know.” You shrugged. “I’m not heartless. It just felt like the right thing to do.”

He let out a deep chuckle. “I see. Then, how would you like me to repay you?”

“You getting out of my house would be enough.”

“Hmm, as much as I’d like to do it I can’t.” He put his chin on his palm and looked at you. “Think of something else.”

“Why should I listen to you? I don’t even know you, you know.”

“Well, don’t you want to know me?” He gave you an impish smirk. “Miss [First Name] [Last Name]?”  
Your eyes bulged like a pair of tennis balls at his question. “How did you know my name?”

He took something out of his pocket and dangled it around his fingers. It was your Kingdom Hearts ID card. “Senior Journalist. Ah, at such a young age, too.”

“G-Give me that back!” You quickly snatched it off his hand. “That’s personal!”

“I would’ve hung around more if I knew there were people like you in that hell hole.” He smirked and played with his food.

“This isn’t fair anymore! At least tell me your name!”

“That would ruin the fun,” he said and jokingly rolled his eyes. “Besides, I can find out anything about you easily without that little card if I want to.”

“You freaky stalker,” you muttered. “Argh! Whatever! After you’re finished eating go to sleep! Goodnight!”

“But there is only one bed in your room. Are you telling me to share the bed with you?”

“Please,” you rolled your eyes and looked at him. “You sleep on the couch. I’ll put some blankets.”

You swore you heard him chuckle mockingly at you before you slammed the door shut. You shook your head and threw yourself on the bed. What have you dragged yourself into? Who was he anyway? You needed to find out about it tomorrow.

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I wonder if I should continue this piece of crap? This is so awkward hahaha~~ (Nevermind this, I did lol)  
>  Anyways, I'm sorry if Xemnas' character felt a little off and different. I didn't mean him to be that way, he's supposed to be a badass, snarky rebel type of guy but he turned into this lump of flirty maniac :lol:
> 
> Ah but it's fun! However annoying Xemmy is in the games he'll always be that lovable villain. I mean, seriously, his extreme arm gesture is just... pft
> 
> Still sorry if none of this makes sense. I'm just writing off whatever's in my head because a lot's been going in my head recently... I dunno
> 
> Comment and tell me what I should do with this craappp k bye
> 
> _Some scenes will be pretty explicit in this fic (preferably in later chapters) so please take caution. No lemons, just a bit shaaaddyyyy mmmm._


	2. Chapter 2

**CAGED HEARTS**   
_—Every heart has its secret._

**Chapter 2:** Reminiscing the Present

\---

You opened your eyes and stared at the figure looming over your sleeping form. A grin plastered across his smug face as he cheerfully greeted, "Good morning. Did you dream of me?"

You spontaneously tried to push him off your bed, but he was faster as he avoided you and let you fall face first to the cold floor. You glared and threw your pillow at him. "I don't remember letting you in my room! What were you doing... Staring at me while I sleep, you pervert?!"

He caught the pillow and smirked at you. "I don't remember you saying I couldn't enter either. Besides, you should be thankful I decided to be nice and get you up in time for work."

"I don't need an alarm, thank you," you said before glancing at your clock. It was still very early. You sighed and looked at his arm. "How do you feel?"

"Much better, thanks to you," he simply replied.

"Good. The quicker you heal the faster you get out of my house."

"How rude," he said while faking an expression. "We'll be housemates for quite some time, we should be nice and friendly to each other."

"This is just as nice and friendly as I want to get with you," you curtly replied, earning a mischievous smirk from the nameless guy.

You shooed him out of your room and prepared yourself. When you got outside, you found him staring at your working desk. His gaze was locked to the framed photograph of your last Christmas party with the entire member of your division at work, where even Mr. Ansem was there. He seemed really solemn for a moment. You swore you even saw a glint of melancholy in his eyes.

You walked towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Eggs and toasts would be enough. You called out to him, "If you're done stalking my work, get in here or you won't get anything to eat."

He came into the kitchen not long after and sat silently on the dining table. You took small bites out of your toast while keeping an eye at him.

He suddenly looked at you and asked, "Did anything happen lately at your office?"

You took another bite out of your toast and looked up at him. "Why ask that so suddenly?"

He shrugged. "Just curious. You seem to enjoy working there."

You silently looked at him for a moment. "Have you ever worked in Kingdom Hearts?"

"Why do you ask?" he asked back.

"You seem to know a lot," you paused and took another bite. "My only guess is that you must have some sort of connection or something, like maybe you've worked there before."

He didn't answer right away and seemed like he was contemplating about something. "Maybe you're not exactly wrong..."

You blinked at him and opened your mouth to ask further, but he caught you to it and stopped you before you could even say anything. "Well, that's not important. You make pretty nice toasts."

"It's just toasts. Even little kids can make them," you commented. A part of you still couldn't get your mind off of earlier conversation. You let it get the best of you and asked further, "Why don't you go home? Don't you have anyone worrying about you being missing and injured?"

He only shrugged. "Don't want to. I like it here."

"What kind of reason is that?" you asked, glaring at him. "For one, you don't even know me, and I don't know you. So why should I trust you?"

"You're the one who was trying to save me, so ask yourself that."

You bit your lip. He was right. It was really weird of you to be trusting strangers and letting them live in your house without even knowing their name, even if he had a good reason to not tell you it was still very dangerous. If he had any malicious intentions he would've earned it by now. So far he hadn't done anything weird, even though he seemed like he was hiding something from you.

For now maybe you just had to follow your intuition and let him stay until he healed. You started all this saintly doing, so you had to finish it. You knew the risks and you still took the responsibility yesterday. If he started doing anything suspicious then you can just call the police.

You finished your breakfast and got ready to leave. "I'm going now. Call me if you need anything," you explained.

He looked at you blankly. "I don't have a cellphone."

"What?"

"I lost all my belongings. My cell, wallet, keys... Practically, everything in my pocket, hahaha."

Your jaw would drop to the ground if physics allowed. "And you're okay with that?! You don't even look the least bit worried!"

"Nah. I can always get a new one. Mind if I use yours?" He pointed to the phone on your working desk.

You sighed. "Now I'm even more curious about you..." You handed him your key and wrote your number on a piece of paper. "If you're going somewhere don't forget to lock the door. There are leftover foods in the fridge, and I left some cash for emergency under my desk. Wash the dishes and do the laundry if your arm doesn't hurt too much," you paused and stared at him in silence. "Look, I'm trusting my house to you, a stranger whose name I don't even know of, so I expect you to return that favor."

"You can trust me," he replied, showing a mysterious grin. "I'll take good care of your house. Take it as a token of my gratitude for saving my life yesterday, but on one condition..."

You raised your brow. "What?"

"You can't say anything about me to anyone."

You eyed him suspiciously. "I wouldn't do that even without you asking. Right now I'm hiding a guy in my house like some runaway couple. What did you do exactly? Did you murder someone?"

"Do I look that sinful to you? Of course not. It's just something personal."

"...Alright." You eyed him one last time before leaving for work. What did he had to hide about anyway?

You went to work and were greeted by Kairi once you arrived at the office. She smiled cheerfully. "Morning, [Name]! Man, it rained real big yesterday."

"I know. I was soaked from head to toe," you tiredly replied as you sat down on your desk.

Her eyes bulged like saucers. "I thought you went straight home?"

"I dropped by the mini market. It just rained so big by the time I was going home."

"How unlucky," she shook her head. "By the way, did you watch TV last night?"

"No," you replied, trying to keep a straight face and not think about last night's events. You didn't have time to watch TV even if you wanted to. "Something important?"

"Remember Demyx's story yesterday about Mr. Ansem's son, Xemnas?" Kairi paused and looked around, lowering her voice. "Apparently, it's true. People has seen him acting up again recently. He got involved in a big fight yesterday with his gang for some unknown reason and caused damages to local facilities. Some witnesses says that he got badly hurt before he went missing. I guess that problematic child is getting seriously out of hand that not even Mr. Ansem could hide him anymore."

This perked your interest as you sat straighter in you seat. "Really?"

"It's everywhere in the news! I'm even surprised that you haven't heard about it yet."

"Then this is great! We can--" You stopped and slapped your forehead. "No, wait. Actually, this is bad. Every other publishing company must be busy covering about this issue, while we can just watch them milk money over the case we can't even dig into."

"I know, that's what I'm talking about." Kairi sighed.

I saw Naminé walk into the room. She had probably heard about the news, and judging by her expression she probably wasn't too thrilled about it either. The blonde girl sat beside me and gave out a long sigh. "Seems like all our hard work yesterday was for nothing."

"Everyone will be so hyped about this news, while we don't even know if we're allowed to cover about it." Kairi shook her head in defeat.

You nodded you head in agreement and said, "I wonder what Mr. Ansem is thinking right now..."

"He must be pretty depressed," Kairi commented. "I mean, he's quite a public figure. Having his son appear on the media for doing shit must be really shameful."

"Yeah, I can feel him," Naminé said and nodded. "By the way, have you seen his photographs?"

"Who?"

"This Xemnas guy. He's never shown in public before. Actually, he's quite the looker."

"Is it just me that's completely left out on this topic? I haven't seen him, not even once." You shrugged.

Kairi tilted her head and said, "Oh, you haven't seen? There are photos of him everywhere in the news now. Wait, let me find one for you."

Kairi searched her desk for a magazine. She opened some pages and showed it in front of you and Naminé. She pointed to a photograph of a young man standing with a group of people. "Here, this one! This is him."

Naminé smiled. "Oh, that was him with his biker gang, right?"

"Yeah. He was one of their best members, but after things got tight lately it seems like he was sort of kicked out of the group."

"Ouch... Poor guy."

You snatched the magazine off Kairi's hand and took a closer look. The photograph was small and a little blurry, like it was quickly taken before the object noticed someone was taking photos of them, but you couldn't shake the familiar feeling from the person in the picture. You narrowed your eyes. Tall and muscular, dark skinned, long silver hair... you couldn't be mistaken. You knew this person! He was they guy you saved last night... the person currently staying at your house! You knew something was wrong with him! That son of a--

You slammed the magazine on your desk and surprised Kairi and Naminé. They looked at you with horror. Kairi yelled, "Dude, whoa! What was that for?!"

You were suddenly aware of them and calmed down. No, you couldn't let them know about this, not yet. This would create to many questions and you couldn't answer those. You took a deep breath and looked at them awkwardly. "Ahaha... Sorry, I was just... frustrated, I guess."

"Yeah, we feel you. But you don't need to ruin my magazine like that..."

"S-Sorry!"

God. Damned. It. You needed to talk to the bastard.

***

You couldn't focus for the rest of the morning after that event. As soon as the clock striked noon you ran out of the office and looked for a quiet and secluded area, making sure no one was around to eavesdrop. You picked out your phone and quickly dialed a number.

It rang a few times and you were sure he wouldn't pick up, but he actually did. You were unable to bottle up your anger anymore and yelled at the phone.

"YOU!!"

There was a moment of silence, like he was momentarily pulling away the phone off his face, before he answered, "Holy shit, lady. My ears."

"Don't 'holy shit' me! What the hell does this all mean?!" you shouted, though still carefully trying to keep your voice from getting too loud. "YOU--You're Mr. Ansem's son! You're Xemnas, right?!"

"Busted," you heard him mutter, though he sounded like he was having fun. "Never thought you'd find out so soon."

"Ugh... stop joking around," you sighed as you planted your face in your palm. "Look, just how long are you planning to hide from everyone? I can't keep this a secret forever, you know."

He didn't answer and kept silent for a whole ten seconds. You faintly heard him sigh and say, "I don't know if I should tell you."

You grunted and looked around to make sure that you were still alone. "Fine, just wait til I get home. Prepare your answers for then."

You hung up and started walking back to your office. Kairi and Naminé were watching you as you approached them. Naminé eyed you suspiciously before asking, "Ooooh, [Name]'s actually calling someone. This is something."

Kairi nodded mockingly. "Mm-hm. Maybe we've actually found a topic for our article, 'The Forever Alone Maiden Finally Finds Her Long Lost Soul'."

You pinched their cheeks. "That's not funny! Geez, I have a life too, you know."

"Doesn't change the fact that you don't have a boyfriend yet. You should start being serious about it, [Name]," Kairi commented, opening her lunchbox.

"S-Shut up. I'll find one when I find one." You rolled your eyes and pouted. "I don't like rushing things."

"Yeah, whatever," Naminé commented, chuckling. "By the way, the boss announced a quick meeting after lunch while you were away calling your boyfriend."

You tried to ignore the last part. "Oh, really? After all this and now he shows up?"

"Normally he would announce meetings two to three days in advance. Must be pretty important," Kairi commented.

"Do you think he might've heard that we're trying to cover about his missing son?" you nervously asked.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it is about him somehow." Naminé stared at her own lunchbox. "Either way we should hear what he has to say. All the divisions are going to be there."

The three of you finished your lunch and after the clock striked one everybody went to the meeting room. You sat between Kairi and Naminé. Everyone else also took a seat, and you saw Riku, Sora, Roxas, and Demyx among the others. They only waved at the three of you since they sat quite far away. Not long after that a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and beard entered the room. The atmosphere became tense all of a sudden as he took a seat on the furthest edge of the table.

The man, Mr. Ansem--the company owner, cleared his throat and looked across the room with his fiery sunset colored eyes before saying, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for disrupting your activities, but I need to announce something important."

No one made a sound and just listened.

Mr. Ansem continued, "I'm sure all of you have heard... uneventful rumours lately. I know all of you are wondering whether or not those are true."

You noticed people starting to look at each other. You felt your palms sweating. Naminé was right, this really was about his son.

"Apparently, yes. They are all true," Mr. Ansem said again. You started hearing whispers to your left and right. Of course, this was a surprise since Mr. Ansem always seemed to be a reserved individual. A rumour about him having a child that was the exact opposite of him was undoubtedly a questionable matter.

The man coughed to regain everyone's attention. "As I was saying, yes, I do have a son. His name is Xemnas. I rarely ever speak about his existence since I thought it would only create unfavorable topics, seeing how he is like. He was involved in a conflict with his biker gang lately, and now he went missing. I have contacted the police but until now I have yet to hear about his whereabouts."

Everyone turned silent again and listened carefully. You gulped and nervously bit your lip. This was not good. Mr. Ansem--and of course, the police--are currently looking for Xemnas' location. You knew exactly that he was in your house, hiding from the eyes and ears of the media. If everyone found out you were helping him it would cause a big problem. You had to think of something to kick him out of your home and save you the trouble of getting involved in weird scandals.

"The other thing I want to discuss about is whether or not you may cover it in our volumes. The answer is... yes, you may. Since the rumour has spread so far I don't think there's a point in hiding it anymore. We need to keep the competition warm with the other publishing companies. I will be open for interviews starting tomorrow evening," Mr. Ansem spoke, earning more whispers inside the room.

Kairi nudged your arm, grinning. "I knew it! This is good news! Our search is over!"

Naminé smiled in satisfaction. "We can now cover this topic in peace."

You nervously laughed to try and hide your fear. "Yes. We can stop wasting time and actually get started."

No... this is bad. This is the worst case scenario happening. You desperately needed to go home. Fast.

***

You had never felt a day went by any slower as you nervously looked at the clock every five minutes for the rest of the day. When the clock striked five you quickly jumped off your desk and dashed out the building like it was on fire. Kairi and Naminé looked confused, and you could almost see them calling and teasing you about seeing a boyfriend or something later on. But that wasn't important compared to the matter you needed to tend to right now.

As soon as you reached your house you slammed the door open--which was unlocked--and yelled out at the top of your lungs, "COME OUT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

A silver haired man casually walked out of the kitchen to greet you. "Welcome home. I see you're not in a good mood today."

You stomped closer to him and grabbed him by the collar, pulling his face closer. "You have so much to tell me right now, young man."

He only grinned mischievously. "Oh, I wonder..."

You pushed him away in anger. "Just... tell me what's going on, Xemnas. After that, I'd also like you to leave. I don't want to get involved in your life drama."

"I see you finally find out my name, too."

"I'm serious."

He was silent for a moment before you heard him chuckle. He looked at you and said in a mocking tone, "Let's see if you can get anything out of me."

You raised your brow. "What?"

"I'm asking for a form of exchange for the information I have," he said again and smirked at you.

"E-Excuse me?!"

"I think I'm being clear enough," he paused, crossing his arms on his chest. "I'd like you to give me shelter for my information."

"I reject," you firmly said, leaning your body forward to further express your disagreement. "You are just using me for your own pleasure. In fact, me saving you from dying on the streets is more than enough of an exchange in my opinion."

Despite your answer you earned a mocking laugh from him. He looked down at you. "Really, now. I wouldn't even try to bargain if I were you."

"And why is that?" you challenged him--which was a very wrong thing to do.

He only laughed again before skillfully grabbing you by the waist and put you on his shoulder, before marching to your room and slamming you down on the bed. He towered over you, pinning you down. The naughty smirk he showed sent chills down your spine.

"Have you forgotten that I am a guy, my dear? I can make you cry right here, right now if I want to."

"Y-You wouldn't dare!"

"Why wouldn't I?" He leaned down so close to your face you could feel his breath on your burning cheeks. "You were the one saying that I am only using you for my own pleasure."

"W-Wait! We can talk about this!" you said while trying to free your hands from his powerful grip.

"Oh, we did," he answered, "but since you don't like the idea I'm trying to come up with something else. Helpful, aren't I?"

Before you could manage to get any word out, he was already leaning to your neck and started nibbling. You gasped and moaned when he licked your sensitive area. A burning sensation crawled to your face. His tongue danced across your skin before he sucked it red. You screamed in guilty pleasure, knowing no man had ever made you feel like this before.

You were still trying to catch your breath when he moved up to your ear, sending chills down your spine. Your fingers curled on the sheets when he licked your lobes. The way he whispered your name nearly made you lose it.

"[Name]..."

You bit your lip, trying to regain consciousness. No, you couldn't do this. He was just trying to distract you. At this rate you could really fall into his trap if you didn't do something. You really needed to stop this.

Just before you could fight back, you felt his hand wander to your breast.

You tried to regain your cool but the way he was teasing you kept you in bliss. His fingers softly rubbed where your nipple would be. You couldn't help letting out another moan.

He started to unbutton your shirt. You could really end up in a difficult situation if your phone didn't ring, rescuing you and your consciousness from going any further.

Your eyes went wide and you jumped off the bed, pushing Xemnas away from top of you as you reached out to your phone. You tried to ignore the fact that you saw him smirk from the corner of your eyes. You looked at the screen of your phone and saw that it was Kairi, probably worried about you going home so quickly.

"H-Hello," you stuttered when you picked up the call. Your heart was still thumping loudly in your chest. "What is it, Kai?"

"[Name]! Where are you? Are you home?" Kairi asked, sounding a bit panicked. "We were so worried when you just dashed off without saying anything to us..."

"Haha... Sorry, guys. Yeah, I'm home, so don't worry," you answered with a nervous laugh. You glanced at Xemnas, who was sitting on the bed, watching you with an amused look. You cleared your throat. "Uh... Y-You guys remember about that cheesy soap opera I told you on TV last week? I just had the sudden urge to watch it. I don't wanna miss it so I just rushed home... yeah... haha."

God. How did you even come up with such a lame alibi?

Kairi laughed so hard. You even heard Naminé's laugh in the background. If there was a hole on the ground you'd just jump in and hide in there forever.

"Really?!" Kairi asked in between laughs. "I thought you said you hated it?!"

"I do!" You slapped your forehead. "I just--I guess I'm just curious... I heard people say it's good... so..."

"Okay, I'm not gonna judge you," Kairi said, still trying to hold back her laugh. "Be sure to tell us about it tomorrow. Maybe it is that good."

"Sure... Well, see you tomorrow."

"See you! Have fun!" Kairi said cheerfully and hung up.

You sighed so hard like the wolf blowing the three little pigs' houses. You glared at Xemnas, who was still watching you with endless amusement.

If his smirk could get any wider it would. "Ooohh, naughty [Name]'s lying to her friends now."

"Who made me do that?" you replied sarcastically. "You know what? I've been trying to say this since I get home. I want you to get out of my house right now. I don't want to live with a pervert like you."

"Oh, really?" He narrowed his eyes, his smirk never leaving his face. "I thought you enjoyed it?"

"Like hell," you replied angrily, though you felt your face burning in embarrassment. Well, maybe you did enjoyed it a little. Just a little. You shook your head. "I'm being serious. Get out of my house. Now that I think about it, I really don't have any reason to help you, don't I? Who the hell cares if you die on the streets or get caught by the police? We practically don't know each other."

Despite your answer you earned a laugh. He looked at you one more time. "[Name], [Name]. Don't you get it?" He pulled out something from his pocket and dangled it on his hand. It was your Kingdom Hearts ID card. "Or maybe you've forgotten who I am? It's okay if your job means nothing to you. I guess you never liked working there, hmm?"

Your eyes went wide in realization as you instinctively tried to snatch it away from him. "Give that back!"

Of course, he skillfully moved his hand away, grabbing your left arm with his free hand and kept you in position. He chuckled. "No, no, no. You have to choose. Let me stay, or loose your job."

"Neither!"

"Oh, I see. You'd rather something else." He smirked again, looking at the general direction of your chest. You suddenly realized that your shirt was still unbuttoned halfway from the top, giving him a fair view of your cleavage.

Your face turned beet red before landing a good punch in his face. "PERVERT!"

He rubbed the aching area on his left cheek. "Ouch. You're quite powerful."

"Let go!"

"Not yet." He fastened his grip on your arm, making you flinch in pain. "You still haven't decided on the exchange. Let me repeat my offer. I can give you information for you to cover in your media, while you give me shelter for the time being. How does that sound?"

You bit your lip. You had no real options, since if you decline his offer you could really lose your job. Even if he was currently in a runaway condition you didn't know what he was capable of doing to make you get shamefully kicked out of the company.

You sighed defeatedly and looked at him square in the eyes. "Fine. You can stay."

He flashed you a satisfied grin. "That's better."

"Just promise you wouldn't try to do anything funny again, like... earlier." You blushed bright red. Even thinking about what he did to you was enough to make you feel embarrassed.

"Oh, come on, I didn't even kiss you. I still have some respect," he said, faking an express that made you want to land another punch in his face. "Besides, I know you like me."

"You wish," you snorted. "Let go of my hand, it's starting to hurt."

He released his grip on your arm. It was red, and by the looks of it it might take a long time to disappear. You rubbed it and glared at him. "Geez, now I can't wear short sleeved shirts."

He smirked at you and looked at the side of your neck. "You're worried about your arm and not about that?"

A cold feeling ran up your back as you dashed to look at the mirror. A bright red kiss mark was tattooed on the side of your neck. You turned to him and yelled, "Mother of--HEY! How am I supposed to get out of the house with a hickey this big?!"

"I couldn't help it," he raised his hands. "You were making such angelic sounds. I can't just stop when you're asking for so much of it."

"I didn't!" You grunted angrily. You looked at the mirror again and examined the bruised area. Shit, he really left a giant mark. What would Kairi and Naminé say when they see it?

You didn't realize him walking behind you when you were busy tending to your bruise. He put both his hands on the vanity table, caging you between his arms. You glared at him through the mirror. "What do you want now?"

"How long have you been working there?" he asked, his lips dangerously close to your ear.

"Around two years, I guess?" you said, racking your memory. "Which reminds me. Your father told us a little about you earlier this afternoon. He says you were always causing trouble, running with biker gangs and recently got into some kind of fight with them. He also admits that he had never told anyone about you before."

"That old man," you heard him mutter. "However hard he tries, he won't make me work in there."

You turned around to face him, ignoring the fact that there was practically no gap between the two of you. You looked into his amber pools. "Do you hate your father?"

He stared back at you. "Yes."

You snorted. "Really, because I think he also has the right to hate you, too."

"What do you know about me?"

"Nothing, that's why I want to know. You promised to tell me everything if I agreed to let you stay."

He seemed to be contemplating about something before letting out a sigh. He released his hold on the table and turned around, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Fine. I'll tell you."

He walked toward the bed and sat on the edge. You followed closely and sat beside him, looking at him to signal that you were ready to listen to his side of the story.

He looked blankly at the wall. "Some parts you heard from my father isn't wrong."

"How much is true?"

He was silent for another five seconds before looking up at the ceiling. "Kingdom Hearts was built by both my mother and father fifteen years ago. My mother was so proud of the company and she loved it very much." He paused to smile in reminiscence. "Despite being a heir to the company, I've always dreamed to be a musician. I loved playing guitar. My mother never demanded me any part of the company, and she was always so supportive with my dream. Five years after that she died of cancer and ever since then my father changed. He became so obsessed in working and building the company. He never paid attention to me or anything else beside work."

You waited patiently as he continued.

"Before she passed away, my mother always said that the company was her biggest treasure," he said with a chuckle. "That message was probably what drove my father to become like he is now and practically forces me to follow his path, saying that I bring shame to the family for having an absurd dream." He paused again, this time looking at the floor. "I guess it was around that time that I found out about this biker gang. They helped me forget about my father's demands and accepts me for who I am. With them, I can do whatever I want, go wherever I like. I'm free."

You looked at him with pity. Who knew a person with such notoriety could have a sad history like that? You could see that he was upset with his father, but even so, what he did wasn't exactly right either.

You looked at him in the eyes. "But did you achieve your dream? If you don't want to follow his path," you paused, searching for the right words, "then what is yours? Is being a rebel, causing trouble, and making your father look bad in front of people a way to make your mother happy? Do you think she would still support you, if she sees you like this?"

He looked at you, his face void of expressions.

"You know, maybe you need a suggestion from a different perspective," you said with a smile. "I know how you feel, being judged and under appreciated by your own father... but running away won't solve anything."

He didn't respond to your comment. You took it as a liberty to continue. "Your father probably felt the same way. He was probably under a lot of pressure after losing your mother, that's why he took what's left of her--the company--very seriously. It's his way to escape reality. You can't blame it all on him."

"It still doesn't mean he can force his ways on me," he finally said. "Just because I'm his son doesn't mean I can be some tool he can use to show off to other people."

"I get it, you're upset with him not letting you find your own place," you said to him, stretching out your legs. You smiled. "You know... my family used to go against me being a journalist. I come from a family of doctors, so naturally my parents want me to become a doctor, too. I'm not that smart, so I don't think I'll qualify to becoming a full-fledged doctor. Being a doctor is a commitment to save people's life, and I don't think I'll be able to handle a responsibility that big."

He quietly listened to you.

"It was difficult when your family hates your dreams, but I studied hard and I finally got into Kingdom Hearts--your family's company. They appreciate me, accepts my skills, and gives me a place to work. This company keeps me going." You turned to look at him again. "I think you should do the same. I know you are trying to find a place where you can finally belong too, but I think you just end up in the wrong place. The difference between you and me... is that you don't strive for your dream. You're giving up. That's not cool, you know?"

He blankly looked away.

You continued, "Maybe I can help you. Everyone needs a little push from others sometimes. I can be that little push for you, so you can stop making decisions by yourself."

His stare was still somewhere else. You weren't even sure if he was listening to anything you said, but you did hoped that he took at least some of your words into consideration. You believed that he actually had good qualities inside him, he just took the wrong path and ended up getting lost. He could be better. You just needed to show him how.

He didn't say anything and stood up from the bed, his back facing you. He walked out of the room and called out, "I'm hungry. Make me something. If it tastes good," he paused, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes, "then maybe I'll take your advice seriously."

You smiled and jumped off the bed, following behind him. "Challenge accepted! But first you have to accompany me watching that stupid soap opera. I'll need to summarize it for my friends tomorrow, and it's because of you!"

"I don't want to..."

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you see it right. I'm continuing this crap. God this chapter's long *lol*
> 
> I know... Xemnas is OOC beyond forgiveness but idc
> 
> I'm sorry if I make Ansem the Wise look like such an abusive daddy.. he's just depressed of being a single father so bear with him hahaha


	3. Scars of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to pretend that I forgot about this fic, but I really don't. I'm just lazy, is all. Super slow update mode activated.

**CAGED HEARTS**  
_—Every heart has its secret._

**Chapter 3:** Scars of the Past

\---

"It's kinda hot today, isn't it?" Naminé fanned herself using a brochure paper.

"Yeah... which reminds me," Kairi commented, glancing at you. "Why are you wearing such warm clothes, [Name]? And what's with the scarf?"

You tried to look as composed as you could. "I'm... not feeling well. I think I'm catching cold."

Damn Xemnas. He'd pay for this.

Kairi and Naminé laughed. "I think it's the aftereffect of watching cheesy soap operas!"

Sora came back from the canteen and jumped over the bench, handing Roxas his coffee. He sat beside Kairi and sighed. "You know... I still can't get over about what the boss said yesterday."

"Yeah... Well, he said we can have an interview with him this evening, but... I don't know. Doesn't it just feel wrong?" Naminé fiddled with her lunchbox.

"I know," Roxas agreed, playing with his cup. "I mean... I don't even know how to feel if I were him. It must feel reaaally shameful."

"It's about his son, after all. He's the only family member he has, right? I heard his wife passed away years ago," Kairi said, frowning. "I couldn't sleep well last night thinking about how we should ask him later."

You glanced at the group. You, Kairi, Naminé, Sora, and Roxas were hanging together at the park near your office at lunch break. Despite being glad that you finally got a topic to cover in your next volume, you were also feeling guilty to have to do it. Your boss—Mr. Ansem—despite being strict and old-fashioned, he was always kind and understanding towards his employees. It just felt wrong to directly ask him questions just to prove the validity of bad rumours, even if it was for work.

"Well, either way we really should do this. We can't back away now. Mr. Ansem said it himself yesterday; we have to keep the competition warm," Roxas concluded, sipping his coffee.

"Easy for you to say," Kairi rolled her eyes. "It's me and [Name] who are at the most difficult position."

You laughed nervously. "Relax, Kai. We can do this. We've practiced this morning."

"Yeah, but..."

"[Name]'s right. You both can do it," Naminé said supportively. "We'll wait for you at Twilight Café when you're done with the interview."

You and Kairi nodded in unison. You spent the rest of the afternoon with light chats with your friends before the clock signaled the time to return to work.

After your little heart-to-heart with Xemnas last night everything went by kind of silently. You did end up watching the soap opera with him, but he was sort of quiet. You caught him staring blankly at the wall or ceiling every so often, like he was deep in thought about something. You wondered if he was giving your words a thought, or maybe something else entirely. Either way, everything else about him was still a mystery to you. You still didn't know what happened between him and his gang that he ended up so miserably on the streets that night. Maybe some day he'd tell you about it, too.

The day went by quickly and the time you and Kairi nervously waited for had arrived. Naminé gave you a 'good luck' before dashing off with the rest of the group to Twilight Café, telling you to meet them there when you were done.

You and Kairi went up the elevator to the tenth floor where Mr. Ansem's room was located. The glass door slid open and you saw your boss sitting behind his desk on the edge of the room. He seemed to be seriously immersed with his work that he didn't notice the two of you walking inside.

Kairi greeted him, "Good evening, Mr. Ansem. I hope we're not interrupting anything important."

He glanced at you from behind his glasses. He sat up straight, "Ah, welcome, Kairi and [Name]. Please, sit down."

The both of you did as he asked. Mr. Ansem took off his glasses and smiled at you. "So, how is everything? I see that you have good relationship with other divisions, too."

"Yes," you answered. Your group did consist of different members of the company. "We do hang out together from time to time."

"That is great to hear. Maintaining good relationship with others is an important aspect of achieving a balanced environment, especially at work."

The two of you awkwardly looked at each other, nervous about how to start the conversation. Kairi took the first step and cleared her throat. "So, um, sir... We'd like to cover your case for our next volume. We're glad that you volunteered for this. We know how difficult this situation is for you."

"It's alright. I've thought about it and I think it is best this way," he said calmly, a ghost of a smile framed his face. "He is, after all, my family."

Kairi nodded at you and you took out a small notepad before turning your recorder on. Those words were enough of a permission to start the interview.

Kairi fixed her sitting position with a determined smile. "Thank you, Sir. For a start, will you tell us how your son, Xemnas, fist got involved with the biker gang?"

He seemed like he was searching for words inside his mind before answering, "He started becoming actively involved with the biker gang around six years ago. He rarely ever comes home, and when he does he never even talked to me. It makes me really worried sometimes."

"I see," Kairi said with a nod. "Does he ever tell you anything about it?"

"No. In fact, I sent someone to follow him whenever he left home. That was how I found out."

You took notes of what he said. Kairi asked again, "Has he ever been involved with any other conflicts before this?"

"Yes, I've lost count of it. Sometimes he even comes home with a lot of bruises. He sneaks into his room, like he doesn't want me to see," Mr. Ansem said, his fingers fiddling with his pen. "I tried to talk to him once before. He got angry and told me to stay out of his business. He left the house and didn't return for days. I got really worried that I had to send someone to find him again."

You looked at the man with sad eyes. The way he said it sounded like he truly was worried about Xemnas. That asshole probably needed to know too.

You took notes of it and nodded at Kairi, permitting her to continue. Kairi looked back at Mr. Ansem. "Can you tell me what kind of conflict had he been involved before?"

The blonde man spinned his pen around his long fingers. His focus seemed to be elsewhere. "I believe they were mostly about territorial issues with other gangs from different neighborhoods, but I believe he also had one where they had internal issues, like fighting over the leadership position of sorts."

"Could those conflicts be connected with his current situation?" Kairi pushed.

Mr. Ansem shook his head. "I can't say. I honestly have not even seen him for nearly a week. I just hope that he is safe somewhere."

You bit your lip nervously. Well, he was certainly in a safe place, so rest assured, Sir. The one who wasn't exactly safe was you, actually.

"I see," Kairi said. "Then, did you notice anything amiss the last time you saw him?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "He was never the talkative type. At least not in front of me. That night before his disappearance he came home without saying a word. Late night after everyone was fast asleep, he went out again and never returned. I didn't mind much at first since it has happened so often, but that time it felt weird because he left without bringing his bike. It was then the rumours started spreading."

Kairi was silent for a moment before asking another question, "Do you think he did this on purpose?"

Mr. Ansem was silent for a moment. "As weird as it may seem, I honestly think he didn't do this intentionally. I have a feeling that something forced him to do this. However rebellious he may be, I know he is not the type to run away from home just like that."

"Any reason why you think so?" Kairi asked again.

He just smiled gently. "All this time, however long it took, however difficult it was, I always managed to get him back home. However rebellious he is, I always keep him under my watch," he paused and chuckled. "Which reminds me, this is all probably my fault. Xemnas... despite what he does now, used to be a very gentle and bright child with a grand dream. He listens to everything his parents told him. It all changed ever since his mother passed away. I started ignoring his dreams and forced mine upon him, even though I knew he was never meant to walk the same path as I did." The man paused with a sad smile. "Now I realize... that I probably won't be able to control him forever. Maybe it's finally time that he finds his own way, his own dreams."

You and Kairi kept listening.

He continued, "Of course, deep inside I wanted him to come back home and walk the path I had chosen him to... but, now... all I want is probably for him to be safe and happy. That is all I ask."

You frowned. Now that you've heard the story from both sides you felt even more guilty. You could feel that Mr. Ansem's feeling was truly genuine, yet you couldn't deny how angry Xemnas was that his own family would betray him that way. You could understand how he tried to escape from his reality, finding a place where he could feel at home. Like you initially thought, he just got trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time. You couldn't exactly blame him either.

After a few more questions you and Kairi thanked Mr. Ansem and left his office in silence. It seemed like Kairi also understood the complicated situation that Mr. Ansem had, but the both of you couldn't exactly do anything about it either.

The two of you went to Twilight Café afterwards to meet with the others who were already waiting for you there. Even Riku and Demyx were also there. Roxas was the first one to notice you. "Over here!"

Naminé smiled as she saw the two of you. "You came! How did the interview go?"

"It's alright, I guess," you answered half-heartedly. "It just... I don't know... I don't think we can use it as an article."

"Huh?! Why?!" Demyx shrieked in surprise.

Kairi shrugged as he sat beside Sora. "[Name]'s right. Mr. Ansem gave us the permission, but... it just doesn't feel right to publish something so... personal."

Riku frowned. "What did he tell you, exactly?"

You and Kairi finally decided to let the others hear the record you took of the interview earlier. They listened closely as the dialogues played through the speakers.

"That went pretty deep, man," Demyx commented.

"Yeah," Naminé said and smiled softly, looking at you and Kairi. "Mr. Ansem must really trust you a lot."

You raised an eyebrow in confusion but Naminé caught it in time. She giggled. "To me, he sounded like he just need someone to listen to him. I don't think it matters if you actually publish it or not. That's just how much he trusts you guys."

You lightly shook your head and waved you hands in denial with a laugh. "Impossible!"

Kairi nodded in agreement with a frown.

"It's true! You can't deny a girl's intuition!" Naminé pronounced proudly.

"Either way, we still have some time to think about this. This is an important matter for the sake of our job and this company, so we have to think about it thoroughly. Let's just go home and take some rest for today," Riku suggested.

The others agreed and after a few more light chats you all went home. The rest of the way home your mind was everywhere. There was so much to think about that your head might explode. Riku was right about having to thoroughly think about the article but on the other side you couldn't really seem to focus on that. You mind went to the very source of all your problems that was probably sleeping at your house comfortably. Xemnas.

Your hand reached inside your pocket to get your keys, but you found your door unlocked... again. You really should start telling him to lock the door.

Once inside, you called out to him but earning no answer. You raised your brow. Did he go out somewhere? You walked to the kitchen and checked the bathroom, but he was still nowhere to be found.

Then you heard the sound of guitar coming from your room.

You quietly tiptoed and peeked inside. Xemnas was sitting on your bed with his legs crossed, your guitar resting on his lap. His fingers lightly strumming on the strings.

A gentle melody played as he ran his hands over the instrument's surface. You had never heard of the tune he was playing, but it was soothing. You silently walked closer to him and sat beside him.

He continued playing for at least five minutes before taking his gaze off the guitar and looked at you. A proud grin plastered across his face.

You gave him an applause. "That was beautiful. I didn't know you played so well."

"My dream is to become a musician, after all," he replied. "I made this song myself."

"What's it called?" you inquired.

"It doesn't have a title yet," he said again, putting the guitar on the floor. "It's not even a finished product. I kinda dumped this project. There's no use in trying anymore."

You looked at him for a moment. You crossed your legs and plopped a pillow on your lap, resting your arms on it. "With skills like that I think it's a waste for you to throw it away."

He merely shrugged.

"Oh, come on." You grinned, lightly punching his arm. "I'll listen to your music, if no one else wants to."

He tried to ignore your comment. "Do you play?"

"No." You shook your head. Well, Demyx wanted to teach you to play so bad at one point that he bought you a guitar, but maybe it just wasn't in your blood. "I suck at it."

He only stared at you, making you feel uncomfortable. You finally remembered the events that took place earlier.

"Hey, actually, I have something for you."

You saw him raise a brow at you as you jumped off the bed to search your bag. You took out the recorder used for the interview with Mr. Ansem.

You took a deep breath and sat beside him once more. "You have to hear this."

You played the recorder and let Xemnas listen to the interview. As the device played, you took small glances at him every now and then. Sometimes, he'd subtly show a different expression, but mostly his face was just blank. You silently tried to guess what was on his mind, but never really could pin it down.

The recorder finally stopped playing and you turned to look at him. You nervously licked your dry lips, expecting his comments.

Xemnas didn't take his gaze off the recorder. A deep line framed his forehead. After what felt like hours, he finally said, "You believed that asshole?"

"Hey, that's not nice," you said with a glare. "He is your father, you know."

"I don't care. I'm never going back there."

"And then? What are you going to do?" you spat back. "You can't hide here forever, Xemnas. People will find out sooner or later, and we'll both be in trouble if that happens."

"They won't find out."

"Stop acting like a fucking kid!" you angrily shouted, standing up in front of him. "Your father is worried sick! Go home, quit playing around with gangs, and start thinking about your future!"

"Who are you to order me around?!" he finally lost his cool and stood up, towering over you. Now that you were consciously standing face to face with him, you cursed at the height difference that made you seemed so much smaller.

You tried to hide your fear. "Your cowardice puts a lot of people in a difficult situation, including me. Stop this and be a man."

"Shut up or I'll beat you down."

"I can call the police, you know."

"Have you forgotten the deal?"

You glared at him. "I'm not scared. If it's for the best, then so be it."

With an angry growl, he pushed you back to the bed and pinned you under him. A familiar feeling washed over your mind like deja vu, sending chills down your spine. No, he wouldn't dare... He promised.

A dark smirk appeared on his face as he saw your expression. "If you think I don't dare then you're wrong."

"No—Wait!" you whimpered as he ran his hand down your thigh. He threw away the scarf from around your neck and licked the skin underneath it. The hickey that hadn't healed from yesterday burnt under his touch.

With a swift move of his hand, he pulled your shirt up, revealing your bra. You tried to fight him off, but he was too strong.

"Xemnas... Don't do this..." you breathed out. "We've talked about this!"

"We did," he replied, not once looking at your direction. "But we had a condition, and you're threatening to break it."

You shrieked when his hand teasingly pulled on the belt loop of your pants. "I'm not! I'm just trying to kick some sense into your thick skull, you dumbass!"

"Is that wise?" he asked, eyes glowering. "All I ask for you is to provide me shelter for the time being. I'm the one who will decide what to do next."

You tried to kick him when he pulled your pants lower. He caught your leg and held in in place, making you even angrier. With a loud, furious grunt, you hissed at him and punched him in the face with all your might. It caught him off guard and sent him off the bed and down to the floor. He fell with a loud thud.

You stood over him intimidatingly, the fear you felt seconds ago disappeared under your anger. You glared down at him. "Listen, you bastard. I'm going to give you one week. Settle your problems by then or I'll have your ass forcibly kicked out of this place."

Xemnas only stared at you for solid five seconds before wiping his mouth. It must hurt where you punched him, but he deserved it. He finally stood up and sat back on your bed.

"You're scared, aren't you?" he asked dryly.

You tightened your fists. "Well, of course! I'm living with a sick pervert who doesn't know how to repay someone's kindness!"

"I know, I am a jerk. I'm not a good person, and I probably never will be." Xemnas glanced at you. For a split second he seemed sad. "That's why you should stop trying to change my mind, because I probably won't."

You looked at him and frowned. That attitude again. You hated it. After all this, you thought you might have changed something inside him. With a defeated sigh, you turned around and walked away to leave the room.

Neither of you spoke to each other for the rest of the day, and you decided to sleep on the couch that night because Xemnas had not left your room. You didn't want to face him, because even if you did, you probably wouldn't know what to say.

Feeling tired, you found yourself fast asleep.

Xemnas came out of your room in the middle of the night to find you asleep on the couch. He frowned. He brought a blanket from your room and put it over you gently. He silently stared at your sleeping face, touching a stray strand of your hair.

He pulled his fingers back. To be honest, he felt guilty for doing that to you. He hated himself for not trying to change despite you trying so hard to help him. He was being a burden to you, but there was nothing he could do. At least not yet.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, before turning around to walk back into your room.

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He has his reasons, just hang in there ;u;


End file.
